Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii -- Players hoping to start the 2012 PGA TOUR season in the elite Hyundai Tournament of Champions field have one final opportunity to qualify at next week's World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China. The Hyundai Tournament of Champions is the season-opening event of the PGA TOUR that allows only champions from the 2011 PGA TOUR season to qualify for this one-of-a-kind, winners-only event.
While many players at the HSBC Champions have already qualified to play in Maui by winning this season, below is a look at the players in the HSBC Champions field who would need a victory next week to earn a trip to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions:
Appleby, Stuart
Bjorn, Thomas
Bland, Adam
Casey, Paul
Chowrasia, S.S.P.
Colsaerts, Nicolas
Dyson, Simon
Els, Ernie
Fujita, Hiroyuki
Gates, Bobby
Gleeson, David
Hansen, Anders
Hanson, Peter
Herman, Jim
Hiratsuka, Tetsuji
Hoey, Michael
Horne, Keith
Hwang, Jung-gon
Ikeda, Yuta
Jaidee, Thongchai
Jimenez, Miguel A.
Karlsson, Robert
Kaymer, Martin
Kim, K.T.
Kruger, Jbe'
Larrazabal, Pablo
Lawrie, Paul
Lewis, Tom
Liang, WC
Mahan, Hunter
Manassero, Matteo
Martin, Pablo
Matsumura, Michio
McDowell, Graeme
Molinari, Francesco
Noren, Alexander
Ogilvy, Geoff
Oosthuizen, Louis
Phadungsil, Chinnarat
Poulter, Ian
Presnell, Alistair
Quiros, Alvaro
Rahman, Siddikur
Reavie, Chez
Rock, Robert
Senden, John
Singh, Jeev Milkha
Slattery, Lee
Van Pelt, Bo
Westwood, Lee
Wu, Ashun
Yih-shin, Chan
Yuan, Hao
Zhang, Xin-jun
With 14 first-time winners, two of which (Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley) won twice in 2011, the field for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions will include several new faces when it kicks off the 2012 PGA TOUR season.
"The Hyundai Tournament of Champions field will have an interesting mix of young, up-and-coming players and established veterans in 2012,'" said Hyundai Tournament of Champions Tournament Director Nancy Cross. "With exciting young players like Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Gary Woodland and Jhonattan Vegas qualified for the field for the first time in their careers going up against players like Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, David Toms and Steve Stricker, the tournament will be as exciting as ever."
Tickets for competition rounds on Jan. 6-9 are on sale now at www.pgatour.com/Hyundai. Limited spots in the tournament's pro-am on Thursday, Jan. 5, remain available. Those interested in being a part of the pro-am should contact the Hyundai Tournament of Champions tournament office at (808) 665-9160 or toll-free at (888) 665-9160 for more information.
Reminders - New to the tournament in 2012:
The tournament dates for official play for 2012 event begin with the Pro-am on Thursday, January 5, continuing with four rounds of professional competition Friday, January 6, through Monday, January 9. The tournament is now scheduled to end on Monday, as opposed to Sunday.
Thursday's pro-am round will be free to all spectators.
The tournament will allow all youth age 18 and under accompanied by a ticketed adult into the tournament free of charge all week long.
Military (active duty, retired and Reserve) and their dependents will also be permitted onsite for free for the entire week. Military tickets can be downloaded free of charge by visiting www.birdiesforthebrave.com and clicking on the "Ticketing" link. All military and their dependents will need to show their valid military ID along with their downloaded ticket in order to gain complimentary admission.
Follow the tournament on Facebook to get updates and a behind-the-scenes look at how the tournament is shaping up. Go to www.facebook.com and search for Hyundai Tournament of Champions.